Spring Avenue Bridge renamed to honor local Vietnam veteran

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troy >> The Spring Avenue Bridge, which has been closed to vehicle traffic since an emergency closure last November, is expected to re-open by Memorial Day 2015, city officials announced Thursday.

The bridge, specifically a resolution to rename the nearly 120-year old structure in honor of PFC Robert C. Felter, was among the items the Troy City Council discussed during its regular monthly meeting Thursday evening.

Felter, a Marine who lived in Troy on Spring Avenue, died Dec. 11, 1965, during the second day of a two-day battle with North Vietnam. Nineteen Marines died during that battle, said Pat Russo, who is spearheading the effort with Felter’s family to memorialize the local soldier.

Both Felter’s younger brother and sister were in attendance at Thursday’s meeting, during which the council’s members unanimously approved the resolution.

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“I think it’s great,” said Ken Felter.

“Our mother will be very proud,” said his sister Sandy Gwinn of their 96-year-old mother.

At the meeting, Russo read the Pulse of the People letter that Felter, a Marine for about four years, wrote to the Times Record just days before he died in South Vietnam. It read: “I’ve been getting The Times Record over here quite regularly and I’ve seen where every once in a while everybody is voicing an opinion on these college pranksters who are protesting our being over here. I wonder if they have ever been scared. I have been scared and still am scared, whether it’s a sweep and clear operation or just a patrol. But I know it has got to be done and I do it.”

Russo said they would be forming a committee to raise funds for a memorial plaque which would be installed on the new bridge and unveiled during a special ceremony next year when it opens.

Demolition of the existing bridge is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks and the structure should be completely razed by the end of August, said city spokesman Michael Morris.

“The City has been working diligently with Greenman-Pedersen and NYSDOT to make sure the project continues to move forward. Recently, all of the easements and right-of-ways were secured so we can now move ahead with the bridge replacement,” said Morris. “There are two main parts to the bridge replacement – the demolition and the reconstruction. As of now, the City has begun advertising for the Reconstruction Contract and has already selected a Demo Contractor.”

In August, the city plans on ordering steel which could take about six months for delivery, Morris explained.

“In September and through the fall, the reconstruction phase is expected to begin with the reconstruction contractor doing excavation, piles, foundations, substructure concrete, masonry wall repairs and backfill so that the project is ready to set steel. Due to the winter months, it is likely that there is a winter shutdown period in January and February. In March, the plan is to set the superstructure steel, water main and gas line. In late April, it is anticipated that the steel deck will be placed. And the goal is to have the bridge open by Memorial Day,” he added.

The existing bridge was first constructed in 1895 and its last rehabilitation was in 1984. City data indicates that about 4,700 vehicles pass over the bridge daily, with projections showing that number could rise to 5,520 vehicles daily in about 30 years.

The new bridge is expected to be in service for a minimum of 75 years. Its final cost has not yet been determined since the work still has to go out to bid. Although the city council bonded $4.5 million for the project in April, 95 percent of the project will be covered by grant money from the Federal Highway Administration and the New York State Department of Transportation. Prior estimates for the city’s 5 percent share have ranged from $150,000 in 2013 to the most recent estimate of $227,500, given by Morris on Thursday.

Renovations to the bridge were originally scheduled to be completed this past April, but then-city engineer Russ Reeves said in November 2013 the city would have to bump that date up due to the status of the bridge. At that time, he said the city looked to complete the work in 2014.

During the process to determine the bridge’s fate, the city initially considered rehabilitation, but ultimately decided on replacement.

Recognizing the impact that the closure of the Spring Avenue Bridge has had on the safety and economic well-being of county motorists, the Rensselaer County Legislative Office of the Minority filed legislation calling for support of Senator Charles Schumer’s proposed amendment to the Federal Transportation Bill. This amendment would increase New York State’s annual funding for off-system bridge repairs by $50 million, allowing for needed repairs to the area’s aging infrastructure. Rensselaer County has 56 off-system bridges which have either become obsolete or are in need of major repairs, according to a statement from the minority office.